hurricane

As a registered camper, you should receive a packet from Spike and the BiB gang that has the gate code. People arrive regularly and we're still up that late. Just don't be the guy last year (the food vendor) who came it at 2 a.m. with floodlights and his headlights on and set up, humming off key all the time. We will shoot you - not to kill, but to silence. :) Historically, our own crewe has pulled in quite late and simply tossed sleeping gear on the ground, setting up in the morning if it was after 10 or so. -- Hurricane

Cruel is in the eye of the beholders. And actually, the Mayans had them beat - cutting the hearts out of live sacrifices is pretty cruel. But we're judging that from our own European perspective... we like to think we're must more civil, but it wasn't so long ago that we were chopping heads off with a guillotine. Back to the subject at hand - there were many cases where the Spanish repelled the buccaneers -- I can think of a few aborted raids on Cuba and Morgan's first battle was a failure as the buccaneers failed to take Santo Domingo. Mansvelt attempted to take Cartago in Costa Rica but was turned back by superior Spanish forces. -- Hurricane

I think the Aztecs and Mayans would disagree about how kind the Spanish were to them. Even now, they are reviled in some areas. I know that the people of the Abacos consider Columbus to be on a par with Hitler in terms of the genocide of the natives there. He's not the hero we all learned about in school who sailed the ocean in 1492. Traveling to other countries (as I'm sure many of you have) you learn quickly that our version of history is so Euro- and American-centric that you wonder what the history experts were smoking. I'm sure the Romans wrote their history that way too, as did the British. And it amazes me how people in other countries have a more well rounded understanding of our history as well as their own while we are so ignorant of others. -- Hurricane

There are many instances of the buccaneers embarking on failed expeditions against the Spanish. But they are merely footnotes in the stories of the buccaneers. And even some of the successful campaigns weren't all that successful because the bulk of the loot had been removed from the towns ahead of time. Even with the famed Sack of Panama, most of the wealth sailed away on a ship before the buccaneers arrived. That said, the buccaneers were extremely brilliant tacticians. They weren't the best sailors - Morgan himself ran three ships aground. That's not surprising, because they were land soldiers, not sailors, as their later counterparts, the pirates were. While the Spanish used traditional fighting techniques, the buccaneers improvised to make up for the lesser numbers. For example in the battle for Panama, the Spanish (and I don't have me reference materials at the work desk here, so forgive me if I'm off on this), kept in their ranks with their pikemen leading. The buccaneers flanked them, which left the Spanish woefully unprepared. Even the attempt to send a stampede toward the buccaneers failed for they simply broke ranks, shot the cattle and moved on (again, may be mixing battles up here). When the did fight ship to ship, they relied on smaller vessels and daring tactics that weren't accepted principles of battle. The famed fire ships that Morgan used or sneaking up at night on the rear quarter. Finally, there was the smart use of marketing and PR. The mere approach of a buccaneer vessel or fleet sent villagers and their soldiers into a fright. Most of the shore batteries were poorly equipped and manned by the poorest of Spanish soldiers and officers. After all, theses outposts, such as Portobello, weren't exactly choice assignments. They were hot, miserable, insect infested and dead ends for careers. The cannons were poorly maintained and the powder and shot hard to keep in good working order in the humidity. The buccaneers were extremely well armed, great shots and fearless -- at least enough to scare the crap out of the people they were attacking. Most people fled, including the soldiers, long before they arrived on shore. I could go on but I have to get back to work... :) -- Hurricane

Gaspar's Grotto in Y'bor City our Tampa way is having a Talk Like a Pirate Day celebration. I'll be gracing it. They web address is, oddly enough, http://www.gasparsgrotto.com. -- Hurricane

The graveyard in use pre-earthquake is underwater - it's treated like the Arizona in Hawaii - to be left untouched. I asked the archeologists how hard it would be to find Henry Morgan there in his lead coffin and the answer was there were no plans to touch the area. So many people died in those two weeks there that you can still feel it as you walk the streets at night. Those who died after the quake in the GAoP era would have been buried in Spanish Town and later Kingston. Unfortunately, the poor were buried in unmarked graves, and certainly a lady of the evening would have been even buried outside the church grounds there. It would certainly be interesting, though. -- Hurricane

A buccaneer of the time didn't really slave to fashion. Their clothing was purely practical. Perhaps in Port Royal, they would try to fit in with the gentry when they returned from a campaign with riches. But a Frenchie would have most likely returned from a trip to Port Royal in a pine box. :) You really have to decide if you're going with a buccaneer representation that is a true buccaneer (the hunter type) or the later buccaneer, which would have most likely been a former soldier who may have also cut logwood or dabbled in other trades after the war. If the former, then you just have to wear a dirty shirt, dirty breeches that are almost black from dried blood, a leather apron and you're good to go. In ordinary daily wear, he would have been hard pressed to wear anything but breeches and a shirt - as it is danged hot down in the tropics - even Port Royal in the dead of winter is tepid, moist and pretty unbearable, even today. -- Hurricane

I did forget the calabash gourds. In Jamaica to this day, they are still used for a variety uses and I can see why they would have been good for storing powder. Very handy, they are. -- Hurricane

On campaign, they did not. There are instances during the Panama trek where the buccaneers were boiling their own leather for food as the Spanish had moved all their herds inland and emptied their grains inland. When they were hunting, they would simply cut a hole into the middle of the side of beef and throw it over their heads. If the load became heavy, they sawed off pieces to lighten it. But that is how a buccaneer carried his raw meet. The powder and balls were in the cartouche they carried. Additional shots were typically gained by seizing the enemy's fortifications and stocks of powder and ball. -- Hurricane They had to have caches somewhere. Not only did they have powder and ball to worry about, they also had all of that dried beef and hides waiting for buyers. I have heard that the cloth that they carried was more like cheesecloth than linen since it mainly served as mosquito netting. They probably wrapped what few things they carried in this and used it as a snapsack. BTW, the use of the term snapsack to mean a long bag worn across the back is modern. I think that was begun by the Saint Mary's City Militia in the 1980s. "Haversack" is actually the older word and "snapsack" was a synonym. Mark

PiP is very much like Woodstock for pirates - everyone knows everybody by the end of the first day. All the pirates in crewes and all those who are freebooters all just get along so well there - like we've always known one another. All that's missing is the LSD and Jimi Hendrix. -- Hurricane

Exactly - getting there is the big problem. Once you're there, everyone will take care of you and there's always a place to sleep. I think my tent alone can sleep five at night, but usually only has one or two. We're all good at taking others in, making sure they have lots of food and drink. -- Hurricane

By god man, you're right. That seems so long ago now. It will be nice to see you again, sir! -- Hurricane

The buccaneers, when on campaign, traveled lightly. The typically carried their fusil boucanier rifle, a cartouche on their belt with 30 charges I believe, four Flemish knives and a machete or cutlass, and a small tent of linen or sailcloth that was carried like a bandolier. This served as their shelter from insects at night. They slept at night on a bed of grass or leaves, their gun between their legs, under this awning, which was set on short sticks, until the buccaneer crawled under it and collapsed it, like curtains, over him. If in need of a drink, the buccaneer typically found a broadleaf plant and use it to fetch a drink from a stream. The knives were sufficient for butchering any game that came their way and doubled as the primary eating instrument. Food was served on broad leaves, that were found. These men had to carry everything with them, so they approached it from a philosophy of absolute need. I have seen no reference to how casks of powder would have been carried, or balls beyond what each buccaneer carried on his person. Food was usually found along the way and it was unusual for the buccaneers to do without for several days, particularly on their treks through Central America. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, Benerson Little, author of the Buccaneer's Realm is the best source. And this should make Sterling happy - his next book due out in February is on the pirate hunters, their tactics and such. -- Hurricane

A performer at Walt Disney World and theater-community mainstay died Monday, four days after he was injured onstage at the Magic Kingdom. Mark Priest, 47, fell Thursday while playing in "Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial," an interactive show in which actors lead guests through a series of pirate-skills tests, a Disney spokeswoman said. Priest, who was in a mock sword fight, stumbled on a wet spot on the stage and then banged into a wall, said friend Jeffrey Breslauer. His injuries included a broken vertebra in his neck and a cut that required 55 stitches to his scalp. Priest was moved out of intensive care and appeared to be improving, but he experienced complications Monday and died at Florida Hospital Orlando, friends said. An official cause of death has not been determined. "It was a very freakish thing," said Breslauer, who has known Priest for 18 years. Company officials received no indication that Priest's injuries were life-threatening, a spokeswoman said. When the resort learned of Priest's death Monday afternoon, officials contacted the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "Our hearts go out to his family and fellow cast members, and we are offering our support to them during this difficult time," Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said. The fall took place during Priest's first performance Thursday morning, Priest told Breslauer. The actor playing Captain Jack Sparrow was supposed to kick Priest's character, Mack, in the buttocks at the end of a sword fight. When Priest stepped afterward, he slid on a wet patch and careened headlong into a wall, Breslauer said. He was bleeding and could barely see, but he left the stage quickly so children would not be upset. Priest was rushed to Florida Hospital Celebration Health and was transferred to Florida Hospital Orlando. Priest joked during the ordeal. At one point, he said he was at the hospital to pick up women, Breslauer said. "He didn't want anybody worried about him or scared," Breslauer said. That was Priest's nature, friends said. "He was a comedian on and off the stage," said friend John Baker, who performed as a Ghostbuster with Priest at Universal Studios. Priest arrived in Central Florida in 1989 and played roles at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows on International Drive for about 19 years, said his former director, Laurel Clark. He arrived more than an hour before the show to set up props for gags he made up. "He was known as a perfectionist," Clark said. Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel

Flirting with a woman who says she is just wearing pearls right now. -- Hurricane

Well, what the hell. I might as well add my two cents. I don't really care who's at fault or who did what to who. However, Bilge, there are others outside of Southern California who've had the misfortune of getting the shaft by this said individual, they just don't talk about it here. But I've heard the stories from those people first hand from their own mouths. I don't personally care about this one way or the other. Haven't done PyrateCon since year 1. Don't plan to ever do it going forward. But, I will say that: 1) Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and as long as it is not of malicious intent, it should be supported and condoned. 2) There are lots of people who are new here that deserve to make their own informed decisions, pro and con about this situation. Otherwise, pirates here have the potential to be scammed as well, if there is scamming going on. As PT Barnum said, "A sucker is born every minute" and an opportunist can root them out before they even knew what hit them. Oh, and I clicked on the site and it's not malware. It's just one person's version of the truth as much as I'm sure Andre has his version. And somewhere in the middle lies the complete truth. People here can make up there own minds about what is true and what isn't. However, the resolution of litigation in a court of law is pretty finite. It's not hearsay, it's not innuendo. It is indeed public record and let the facts of the case and the truth of the matter prevail. But it does deserve to be aired. It's the job of the moderators to keep this civil and not be reduced to name calling and I think they've shown good judgement on that in the past, including slapping me down a time or too in my crankier days. -- Hurricane

I would highly recommend that everyone interested in the way things were read Hubbub as noted by Mission. It is a real eye opener of the conditions and lives people really led in the time. Very well researched and a great read. I reference it often, as does my good friend Mission, obviously. :) -- Hurricane

One must remember that nearly everyone was not as attractive as the paintings would appear them to be. A painter was the PhotoShopper of the day and omitted things like pox, missing jaws, scars, etc. As for pimps, the model was bordellos with madams, and I can't imagine a pimp standing up to a pirate who wanted his doxie then and now. As for gay sex... everyone wants to introduce that but there's no records of it in Port Royal. Even though it was a sinful town, it had many, many churches -- nearly every religion (including the Jewish faith) was represented there and homosexuality was not condoned or accepted. The incidences of homosexuals within the population would have been constant with what it is today. If you think about it, if gay sex was so rampant, why did the stumpets, whores and doxies do so well in town? :) Again, pre earthquake Port Royal was very different from the Port Royal in the Golden Age when most of the wealth and population had moved to Kingston. In fact, Port Royal was banned from being rebuilt after the earthquake, even though it did anyway, albeit on a much much smaller footprint that it had in its heyday. -- Hurricane

Port Royal at the time (this is pre-earthquake when buccaneers ruled the roost) was a mirror of England, but much more wealth and over the top. Everything was to excess. I note: One of the more fashionable residents, Mr. Downes, appeared "wearing a Turkish garment of black watered chambles lined with crimson taffety, a black clothe coat lined with blew sacronet, breeches, crimson velvet, a silk crimson Turkish sash, a pair of Turkish shoes, gloves and a periwig." The women were similarly fashioned in the best. Even the whores were dressed relatively well, usually in the cast offs of the wealthy whose attire had been repurposed by a tailor in town. It's hard for any of to conceive of the tremendous wealth in a town where a buccaneer could bring in 10 years worth of wages and blow it all within a week. Whoring there wasn't a loathsome job for the most part there - it was a service that was needed and provided profitably. The only poor people in town were the buccaneers who would beg along the wharves after they spent all their money in the public houses, with the merchants and on the whores. -- Hurricane

The answer would be yes to all the above. Many were local girls from the island, others were widows who had to make a living after their husbands dies, and still others were girls from Europe - all there to strip the men of their coin. There weren't any cases of women being brought in that I recall off hand like they had been in the French colonies. This can be perhaps evidenced by the fact that unlike the rest of the Eastern Caribbean where male adults vastly outnumbered women and children, the number population of Port Royal at the time of the earthquakes was: 1,600 men, 1,400 women and 1,000 children. There are plenty of incidences of the criminals being sold off as servants -- an Ann Sharp went for $45 to Mr. Moss, a merchant, for instance. Bridewell was regularly filled with strumpets, to the point that they had to utilize the stocks often on High Street to handle the overflow. The most famous strumpet there was the German Princess, who initially passed herself off as royalty. There is a reference at the time to her being much like a barber's chair in town -- no sooner had one customer left than another one got right in. :) I have lots more, just not much time right now. -- Hurricane

Our most recent roster is as such: Pyrates of the Coast (Crewe of the Blackheart) - On the beach: Hurricane Diosa Sheila Red Handed Jill Bootleg Youngblood Willie Wobble D.B. Buxom Anne Marie Cutter Io -- Hurricane

I was almost deported for being a pirate in Canada, does that count? Our gear was seized, as were out passports while it was sorted out. As for the sailing issue, if you can get out to Seattle the Lady Washington is always looking for volunteer crewe - I believe they have it on their website. http://ladywashington.org/ -- Hurricane

Hawkyns, How grand that you will not only be showing up to shoot with us but be selling wares as well. Excited to finally meet you in person. -- Hurricane

A very persuasive argument William - I may have to jump my own ship. -- Hurricane

Odyssey has until today to file their appeal of the judge's ruling... stay tuned http://www.barcelonareporter.com/index.php?/news/comments/odyssey_marine_exploration_has_until_july_21st_for_appeal_in_spain_treasure/ -- Hurricane